This invention is in the field of phase conjugated laser resonators. Since the discovery of the optical phase conjugated reflection properties of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), there has been considerable interest in the use of phase conjugation (PC) to enhance the performance of pulsed laser resonators. In such an application the rear mirror of a conventional laser resonator is replaced by a phase conjugate mirror (PCM) consisting of a lens-SBS cell combination. Since high light intensities are required to reach the SBS threshold for switching on the PCM, one incorporates the PCM inside a conventional (starter) laser cavity. However, this incorporation poses two problems. First, the required introduction of lens(es) inside the starter cavity makes laser alignment more complex since the lens (in the case of a single lens) must be precisely positioned with respect to the rear starter cavity mirror and, in the case of two or more lenses, with respect to each other as well as to said mirror, in order to preserve intracavity beam collimation. Second, the output wavefront is degraded by intracavity distortions which occur prior to switching on the PCM. This happens because the starter cavity provides the necessary threshold intensity for switching on the PCM, and accumulated wavefront distortions caused by the PCM components occur before the PCM turns on. We avoid these problems in our novel PC resonator by placing the PCM in an optically-coupled side arm.